Submerged power-station.



N0. 888,587. PATENTED DEG. 18 1906. H. A. E. G. VON SGHONa SUBMERGED POWER STATION.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB.29. 1906.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

UNiTEn STATES PATENT oEEioE.

susmsmaeo POWER-STATION;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed March 29, 1906. Serial No. 308,8 16.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS AUGUST EVALD CONRAD voN ScHoN, of Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Submerged Power Stations or Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a power station or plant in the interior of a hollow or space-covering dam, and thereby utilize the space covered or protected by the dam.

The invention may be embodied in a hollow or space-covering dam of the concrete shell or other suitable type, having a turbine or its equivalent located in the space covered or protected by the dam, a feed-pipe adapted to conduct water under the desired head or pressure from the upstream side of the dam to the turbine, a draft-tube adapted to conduct water from the turbine, and a drafttube well or depression located within said space and free from the disturbing influence of the water flowing over the dam, the said well being therefore constantly sealed by the escaping water, so that interference with the downdraft by the admission of water from the downstream side of the dam is prevented.

The invention may also be embodied in an inner structure constituting a power station or chamber adapted to contain machinery for developing and utilizing the power of falling water, said chamber being contained within the space covered or protected by the dam and having walls which are separated from those of the dam by airspaces, so that the presence of moisture on the inner walls of the chamber shall be prevented or reduced to a negligible minimum. Provision is thus made for protection of the dynamo and other mechanism contained in the chamber against injurious action of moisture, which is liable to be present as the result of condensation or from other causes on the inner walls of the dam.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a view of my submerged power plant from the downstream side of a damcontaining the same, portions being shown in side elevation and portions in longitudinal section. Fig. 2

represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in both the figures.

The dam shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration is of reinforced concrete construction, and comprises a deck a, an apron l), and a crest 0, connecting the deck and apron, although it is to be understood that1 any suitable dam structure may be usec d represents a feed-pipe having its intake in the deck a and extending downwardly therefrom to a turbine-casing 6, located within the space covered or protected by the dam.

f represents a dynamo connected with the turbine-shaft g.

h represents a draft-tube extending downwardly from the turbine-casing and discharging the tail-water into a well i, also located in said space and at the bottom portion thereof,

said well discharging into a substantially horizontal flume 11, extending through the lower portion of the apron b and discharging substantially at the level of the base of the apron. The relative, arrangement of the draft-tube and flume is such that the level of the tail-water contained in the flume is always above the lower end of the draft-tube, so that the latter is sealed by the tailwater.

The fiume i, is covered by the dam struc ture, so that the tail-water therein is not agitated by the overflow water or overfall, and therefore constantly submerges the discharge end of the draft-tube, the latter being below the top of the flume. There is,therefore, no liability of the admission of air from the downstream side of the dam into the drafttube to impair the force of the downdraft of water through said tube, the outlet or discharge end of the draft-tube being separated from the overfall by a part of the dam structure.

' The space covered or protected by the dam contains a power-chamber, which, as here shown, comprises a floor and a superstructure 7', said chamber being adapted to contain the dynamo f and suitable adjuncts, such as the operating member 76 of a gate 7c, controlling the feed-pipe d, the operating member m of a gate m, controlling the flume i, and a switchboard n. The operating member 7c is here shown as a handle affixed to a shaft k having a gear k meshing with a rack k a'liixed to the gate, said shaft passing through the wall of the superstructure j and through the corresponding portion of thedeck a. The operating member m is connected by a rod m with the gate m, said rod passing through the floor Provision is thus made for the control of both gates from within the chamber.

The walls of the chamber are separated either wholly or throughout the greater part of their extent from the walls of the dam by air-spaces which provide for the evaporation and disposal of water of'condensation accumulating on the water-cooled inner surfaces of the dam and prevent suchchilling of the walls of the chamber as to cause any injurious precipitation of moisture on. the inner surfaces of the Walls thereof.

Means are provided for supporting the.

ports may be piers u u, of reinforced concreteor other materlal. The floor 7 is preferably of the same construction, while the superstructure j is preferably composed of hollow tiles. e

Suitable provisions are, made for lighting and ventilating the interior o f-the powerchamber. The lighting provisions, as here shown, comprise coinciding glazed openings 0 79, formed respectively in the apron of the dam and in an adjacent portion of the superstructure j. Suitable v'entilating-epenings 9 may be formed in the roof or in any other suitable part of the chamber. The type of dam here shown is provided with vent-passages 1, extending through the upper portion of the apron for the purposeof breaking the partial vacuum behind the overfall and preventing trembling of the dam. Themovement of the water across the apron induces an outward movement of air through the vent-passages, .this movement insuring suitable ventilation through the yen tilating-openings provided in the chamber. Suitable openings provided with doors 5 are provided, preferably at one or both of the end portions of the chamber, for ingress and egress and for 'the insertion and removal pf machinery. v

As already above indicated, the power chamber is adapted to receive any machinery intended for the generating of hydraulic power and the utilization of the same by converting it into electric energy or otherwise. It is obvious that a steam-boiler may be installed in the power-chamber to generate steam and utilize the same to operate steameng-ines and other machinery or for supplying said space.

live steam to melt away accumulations of ice on the dam-crest, flash-boards, sluice-gates,

&c. Pumps may also be installed in the power-chamber to pump water by hydraulic, electric, or steam power into reservoirs or supply-mains. v

1..' A power-chamber located within the space covered or protected by a dam, and havingwalls which are independent of the dam structure. Q I

2. A power-chamber located within the .space covered or protected by a dam, the

Walls of said chamberbeing separated from the walls of thedam' by an air-circulating space. i

A power-chamber located within the space covered or protected by a dam, and. havlng supports which are lndependent of the dam structure, to prevent the transmission of injurious vibrations from the powerchamber to the dam.

4'. A power-chamber located within the space covered or protected by a dam, and separated from the walls of .the dam by an air-space, the chamber and dam having coinciding lightapertures.

5. A power-chamber located within the space covered or protectedby. a dam, and separated from the walls of the dam by an air-space, the chamber havingone or more ventilating openings communicating with 6. A power chamber located within the space covered or protected by a dam, and separated irom'thewa'lls of the dam by an air-space, the said chamber having one or more openings for ingressand egress, and

means for closing said opening or openings.

7. A power chamber located within the space covered or protected by a dam, the latter. having a feed pipe or conduit, withan intake at the upstream side of the (l2t111,i'il16 sald power-chamber being separated from the walls of the dam, and containing means ior utilizing the power of water falling through the conduit.

8. A power-chamber located within thespace coveredor protected by a dam, the latter having feed plpe or conduit, with an in take at the upstream side of the dam, said power-chamber being separated from the walls of the'dam, and containing means for utilizing the power of water falling through the conduit, and means for controlling the flow of water through the' conduit.

9. -A submerged power plant located within a space covered or protected by a dam,

and comprising a'feed-pipe extending from the deck of the dam to a wheel-casing, a water-sealed draft tube extending downwardly from the wheel-casing,'the outlet of'the drafttube being within said space, and means for confining an accumulation of tail-water in -IIO said space in position to seal the delivering end oi the draft-tube.

1 O. A submerged power plant located within a space covered or protected by a dam, and comprising a feed-pipe extending from the deck of the dam to a wheel-casing, a water-sealed draft-tube extending downwardly from the said casing, and having an outlet within said space, and a flume extending from the outlet of the draft-tube to the downstream side of the dam, said flume holding an accumulation of tail-water in position to seal the delivering end of the draft-tube.

1 1. A submerged power plant located within a space covered or protected by a dam, and comprising a feed-pipe extending from the deck of the dam to a wheel-casing, a drafttube extending downwardly from the said casing, and having an outlet within said space, and a power-chamber located within said space.

12. A submerged power plant located within a space covered or protected by a dam, and comprising a feed-pipe extending from the deck of the dam to a wheel-casing, a drafttube extending downwardly from the said casing, and having an outlet within said space, a power-chamber located within said space, and power-utilizing means and suitable adjuncts thereof located in said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANS AUGUST EVALI) CONRAD VON SCHON. WVitnesses:

WESLEY L. NUTTEN, JosEPH H. GODDARD. 

